1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing system controlling an image processing apparatus to display screen information, a control method therefor, an external control apparatus, an information provision apparatus, the image processing apparatus, and a storage medium storing a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is a known technique that an information processing apparatus like a personal computer is connected to a Web server on a network and displays an operation screen provided by the Web server on a Web browser with which the information processing apparatus is equipped.
With the technique, when the web browser of the information processing apparatus requests an operation screen from the Web server, a Web application of the Web server transmits an HTML file for displaying the operation screen on the Web browser to the information processing apparatus in response to the request from the information processing apparatus.
The Web browser of the information processing apparatus analyzes the received HTML file, and displays the operation screen based on descriptions of the received HTML file. Furthermore, when a user inputs instructions through the operation screen displayed on the Web browser, the Web browser notifies the Web server of the inputted instructions.
Receiving the notification, the Web application on the Web server executes processes according to the inputted instructions.
Incidentally, there are some image processing apparatuses, such as an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) equipped with a scanner and a printer, which are equipped with the Web browser mentioned above recently. This MFP displays the operation screen provided by the Web server on the web browser of the MFP using the above-mentioned procedure, and receives the various instructions from a user.
Furthermore, a system in which an information processing apparatus (an external control apparatus) is separately arranged outside an MFP to take charge of a part of processes that has been executed by the MFP conventionally is proposed in recent years.
A RIP (Raster Image Processor), which develops printing data in a vector format into bitmap data that can be printed by the MFP and transmits the data to the MFP, is an example of such an information processing apparatus.
The system configuration of the MFP including the RIP is diversified. The Web server had to generate the optimal display screen corresponding to the system configuration of this complicated MFP.
A method of generating the display screen corresponding to the system configuration of the MFP is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2006-129356 (JP 2006-129356A), for example. According to the description of this publication, the Web browser in the MFP notifies the Web server of functions with which the MFP is equipped, and the Web server dynamically generates a user interface corresponding to the functions of the MFP.
However, the above-mentioned conventional information processing system has the following problem. With the conventional technique of linking the Web browser in the MFP to the Web server, the Web browser notifies the Web server of the functional information about the MFP, and the Web server dynamically changes the generated screen information according to the functional information.
However, in the complex system configuration including the information processing apparatus like the RIP mentioned above and the MFP, the Web server needs to prepare many pieces of screen information corresponding to various functions of apparatuses including the information processing apparatus beforehand in order for the Web server to generate the screen information dynamically.
For example, when an operation of the information processing apparatus like the RIP is set up via the operation screen of the MFP, a user's convenience can be improved. Since such settings for the RIP vary widely, if the Web server supports all the settings, flexibility for constructing the Web server is spoiled and a load on the Web server increases.